Let’s See Who’s Bluffing in the Criminal Case Against the Russians

The “12 Russian officials” Mason spoke of were military intelligence officers accused of carrying out a series of cyberattacks against various American-based computer networks (including those belonging to the Democratic National Committee), the theft of emails and other data, and the release of a significant portion of this information to influence the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The names and organizational affiliations of these 12 officers were contained in a detailed 29-page indictment prepared by special prosecutor Robert Mueller …

Vladimir Putin responded, “We have an…existing agreement between the United States of America and the Russian Federation, an existing treaty, that dates back to 1999, the mutual assistance on criminal cases. This treaty is in full effect. It works quite efficiently.”

Putin then discussed the relationship between this agreement — the 1999 Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty — and the Mueller indictment. “This treaty has specific legal procedures,” Putin noted, that “we can offer the appropriate commission headed by special attorney Mueller. He can use this treaty as a solid foundation and send a formal and official request to us so that we would interrogate, we would hold the questioning of these individuals who he believes are privy to some crimes and our enforcement are perfectly able to do this questioning and send the appropriate materials to the United States.” …

It took an interview with Putin after the summit concluded, conducted by Fox News’s Chris Wallace, to bring the specific issue of the 12 indicted Russians back to the forefront and give it context. From Putin’s perspective, this indictment and the way it was handled by the United States was a political act. “It’s the internal political games of the United States. Don’t make the relationship between Russia and the United States — don’t hold it hostage of this internal political struggle. And it’s quite clear to me that this is used in the internal political struggle, and it’s nothing to be proud of for American democracy, to use such dirty methods in the political rivalry.”

Regarding the indicted 12, Putin reiterated the points he had made earlier to Jeff Mason. “We — with the United States — we have a treaty for assistance in criminal cases, an existing treaty that exists from 1999. It’s still in force, and it works sufficiently. Why wouldn’t Special Counsel Mueller send us an official request within the framework of this agreement? Our investigators will be acting in accordance with this treaty. They will question each individual that the American partners are suspecting of something. Why not a single request was filed? Nobody sent us a single formal letter, a formal request.”

Bluff being called, if the US media would just notice. Would the allegations stand up in any court of law?